The two Kate Atkinson books we should talk about much more

There are books that arrive with a chorus of approval already attached to them. You can hear the noise before you even turn the first page: prize longlists, ecstatic reviews, the familiar phrases about brilliance and urgency and importance. 

Then there are books that are quietly absorbed into the background of contemporary fiction, admired, recommended now and then, occasionally pressed into a friend’s hands, but rarely given the full, sustained conversation they deserve.

Kate Atkinson’s Life After Life and A God in Ruins belong to the second category, which feels faintly absurd when you consider what they actually do, and how good they are. 

20 War Novels that stay with you

Today is 6th June, marking the 81st anniversary of the D-Day landings. D-Day was the largest seaborne invasion in history and a turning point in World War II. A perfect opportunity to reflect only on how war has shaped and scarred the human story.

War novels, at their best, are not just about battlefields, but about the people who move through them, the memories they shoulder, and the hope that flickers even in the darkest hours. 

Here are twenty novels, not only from World War II, but also from other conflicts, that shine a light and tell stories about conflict, compassion, and endurance. Each comes with a quote—a shard of truth, if you like—and a reason to read.